F1 Rookies Fail to Impress in Qualifying

Formula One's rookie drivers failed to set the world on fire at Saturday's official qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, filling four of the last five places on the grid for the season-opening race.

Britain's Justin Wilson finished in 20th position after he aborted his single qualifying lap under team orders while the other newcomers, Antonio Pizzonia (18th), Ralph Firman (17th) and Cristiano da Matta (16th) were only marginally quicker.

While previous rookies have done better in recent years, it is hard to judge the performances of the latest crop because of the new regulations forcing teams to qualify with the same set-ups and fuel loads they will use in the race.

With the four newcomers all in cars that would probably have finished in the back of the field, it is likely all carried heavy fuel loads to reduce the number of stops they will have to make in the race.

Loophole

Wilson, a former F3000 champion from Yorkshire, was the first driver on to the track during the hour-long session after recording the slowest time in Friday's preliminary qualifying. But he but did not record a time, pulling into the pitlane as part of an elaborate Minardi plan to expose a loophole in the new qualifying rules.

Although the two Minardis will start at the back of the grid, the decision not to register an official qualifying time will allow the team's mechanics to continue working on the cars through the night while their rivals' vehicles are impounded.

"It was a strategy we chose to follow," 24-year-old Wilson said. "We knew the likelihood was that we would qualify toward the back of the grid anyway."

Pizzonia, 22, will start his Jaguar ahead of Wilson and his Minardi teammate Jos Verstappen but was still the slowest of the 18 drivers who did register a time, finishing more than four seconds behind pole sitter Michael Schumacher.

"My qualifying lap was clean and I didn't make any mistakes although it is difficult to know how hard you can push the car at a track you are completely new to," the Brazilian said.

Firman, a 27-year-old Briton who won last year's Formula Nippon championship in Japan, will start alongside Pizzonia on the second last row after steering his Jordan into 17th position despite some minor steering problems.

"I got a good lap but the most important thing is I was able to get a feel for the car," he said. "We've done a lot of work so far this weekend so I feel pretty good about our preparations."

Da Matta, 29, is the oldest and most experienced driver among the four newcomers, following in the tracks of Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya by switching to Formula One after winning the CART championship.

He showed some promising signs when he set the 10th fastest time in Friday's preliminary session in his Toyota but slipped to 16th in the official single-shot qualifying when he spotted another car on the circuit.

"I was expecting a clear run for my single lap so I was surprised to see a car right in front of me," the Brazilian said. "Psychologically it slows you down a little bit."